Time Flies

Oh my, has it really been nearly two months since my last post? Dreadful. Truly dreadful.

Frankly, I've just had too much on my plate since returning to the Wasteland.

The last of my vacation was a blissful combination of great food, shopping, visiting friends & family, and enjoying one-on-one time with my parents. Really fabulous.

Okay, so there might have been an incident or two during my stay. For example, Zoe got into the basket of Godiva chocolates my father gave my mother and ate ALL of it. Yeah, all dark chocolate. Well, she's a chocolate lab! After it was determined she would SURVIVE the feast, my mother re-christened her Godiva Girl. Zoe did replace some of the chocolate with a new box. But she ate over $80 worth of chocolates. Not so good.

And then one of the kitties (my guess is Naughty Henry) decided to do a little branch swinging on my mother's little tree in the solarium. You know the one with all the Hummel ornaments? Yeah, THAT one. One downed tree and many broken Hummel ornaments later I was surprised either cat was still in the house. Or alive for that matter. Of course, I wasn't there. It would figure.

So, we had some . . . trials. Needless to say, the kitties are not welcome back. I guess I'll have to figure something else out for next time. SIGH.

Still, I got to see great friends in Maine and my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle let me ride his horse, too, which was a real treat. It was quick and intense . . . but so great to be horseback again! Man, do I miss riding.

My return to the Wasteland however is another story.

So it's a two day drive with critters and when you're the only driver that can be grueling. So when I got to my home, two days before classes were to begin, I was relieved. I could crash and then get down to work the next morning.

The universe had other plans apparently. When I opened the back door of my house to begin unpacking the car, I was hit with the most AWFUL smell. Seriously - it was the smell of human waste. UGH! It nearly flattened me.

Well, I placed the cat carrier down and raced down the stairs to the basement and - lo and behold! - it was FLOODED. STANDING WATER. AND THE STENCH WAS UNBEARABLE. I guess it had rained - a lot - while I was away and I got a lovely combo of rainwater and sewage backup.

Welcome home.

S0 I spent the rest of the weekend dealing with my flooded, stinky basement instead of getting ready for classes. Fortunately my rental company handled the standing water and ripped up the carpet, but the CLEANING had to come from me. I spent two days BLEACHING the floor to get rid of the smell. Exhausting work if you've never done it.

Then classes began, rehearsals began, and I had to prep for my on-campus interview in Alabama! All the first week back.

Then it snowed and got cold.

And then I went to Alabama and had yet ANOTHER travel adventure 'cause this time it snowed in ATLANTA of all places! My flight was delayed and nearly canceled, but no, we boarded anyway. And spent HOURS going nowhere - not even an inch away from the gate. As it turns out, we did get to fly, but by the time I landed it was after 10pm and we had a 40-minute drive to go. We finally reached town, looking for some grub, and ended up at the Huddle House. I swear I thought somebody was playing a practical joke on me. I got to my room at the guest house very late and guess what? The heat was BROKEN and there isn't anybody hanging out at the front desk. So I ransacked my room looking for every spare blanket to sleep under. Next morning we were off for breakfast at a funky little coffee house . . . until it was closed. Guess where we had breakfast? THE HUDDLE HOUSE! No joke. By this time I couldn't help but laugh. Fortunately the rest of my interview was uneventful - that is until my 4AM departure for my 6AM flight . . . which was DELAYED on the runway due to a technicle problem. I tell you folks, you couldn't write a life like mine.

So I got back, started into project #2, and have been busting my butt to try to leave here early to do a gig in Colorado I was invited to do the end of March. Of course, this being THIS place, it isn't happening, but that's for another post.

In the meantime, I've had more phone interviews (2 very good and one kinda bad) and I'm still job hunting. It's enough to drive one mad. I leave in a couple of weeks for an on-campus interview in Colorado.

I'm really hoping to get this gig . . . but am determined should it not pan out that SOMETHING will come up . . . even if it's returning to DC . . . which to tell the truth sounds more and more appealing.

The good news is I get to go back in a few weeks for a good, long visit. I'm spending my entire Spring Break there (unless I get an audition in NYC about which I am waiting to hear). I'm so looking forward to being with friends, eating out, drinking, and just getting my fill of the city vibe. It's been too damn long.

This Friday, one of the projects on which I've been working opens and the Fight Guy and I are going out for SUSHI to celebrate! Yippee! Sushi on my fabulous friends from DC - they sent me a gift certificate for my b-day that I'm finally getting around to using. I can't wait.

And just after my on-campus interview, and just before my trip to DC, project #2 opens. And then I look forward to having my life back. I'll have my evenings free, just in time for the weather to improve. And I'll be able to get my shit in order to pack up and be ready to leave - for wherever - May 31st. I'm really looking forward to getting the hell outta Dodge.

So that's about it. I realize I've nutshelled another post here . . . once I get my life back I'll be able to post more regularly.

OH! I nearly forgot. I'm running again! I'll be running the Nashville Half-Marathon at the end of April with my brother and, I'm hoping, my nephew. I'm happy to be back in my shoes on on the road, but admit that this freakin' freezing weather isn't making getting out to put in the miles easy. I'm really tired of wind chills in the -teens and -twenties. YUCK. BRING ON SUMMER!

Okay, enough babble.

Time's a-flyin and I gotta get going.

The Mother of All Updates (Installment #3 - Crappy Birthday)

So . . . this birthday was a BIG birthday for me. Years ago I had vowed I would have a huge party and, if not yet married, go ahead and register for all the cool stuff one should have even if one doesn't get married.

Needless to say, it didn't happen. Any of it.

Here is how I spent my 40th birthday and the days following:

I woke up at 3 AM (yes, THREE IN THE MORNING) to get ready for my 6 AM flight to Chicago - the first of four legs to Laramie, Wyoming for my on-campus interview there.

At 4 AM, as I was gathering my phone to pack, I noticed I had a message in my voicemail. I listened to it, and lo and behold, my flight to Chicago was canceled due to weather and I needed to call United to rebook my sequence. So I made the necessary arrangements and called my contact at the school to inform her of the change. My new flight was scheduled to leave for Chicago at 11:30 AM.

Rather than going back to bed, I informed my pet-sitter I was delayed and took Zoe for a walk myself, then spent my free time leisurely finishing my last minute packing for my trip.

I left for the airport a little after 10 AM, arrived, checked my bag, and proceeded to my gate.As I flipped through a magazine while waiting for the boarding to begin, a voice comes over the loudspeaker explaining there was a delay in the flight due to mechanical issues. Oh dear. At least my connection in Chicago wasn't until 2:45 so I had plenty of time.

I managed to chat with my sister for a bit and figured that since I packed my phone charger in my checked luggage, I should keep the phone off much of the time. Finally, we boarded at 12:30. I still wasn't worried because I knew I'd have about an hour before my connecting flight left Chicago.

When I landed in Chicago, I proceeded to the departure screen to check on my gate and flight status. I looked up and saw that my flight had an assigned gate, but was now not scheduled to take off until 5:15! WHAT?! Uh oh. So off I went to speak to an agent about yet another flight out of Denver to Cheyenne. I booked the LAST flight out of Denver and called my contact in Wyoming. She took my information and said to stay in touch. I shut the phone off again to keep from wasting the battery and tried to stay busy until 5:15. Not an easy task. Though O'Hare offers "free wifi", you need to subscribe to connect with their system. SO, here it was, my birthday, and I was stuck at O'Hare with no phone or e-mail contact with friends and family. Bummer. At least I had my iPod. I finally got so bored I PAID for 15 minutes of Internet service at a little kiosk . . . just enough time to check new messages and send two.

I listened to some music and finished my magazine . . . even did some prep work for the next day's series of interviews and teaching . . . and ate some lunch knowing I would only be getting peanuts on the flight to Denver.

I checked the board again, and 5:15 had become 5:45 . . . then 6:15. SIGH. We FINALLY boarded a little after 6:30 PM. By this time, I had been up for 15.5 hours and I still had TWO legs to go before my final destination!

The flight to Denver was crowded, and I was in the center seat of a five seat middle section . . . but was surprised to take off with nobody sitting directly next to me. Sheer luck. However, due to nerves, I was unable to get any sleep. I watched a little "TV" and then listened to some more music and read the airliner's magazine.

We touched down in Denver about 8:00 local time and I proceeded to the departure screen again to find out about my connection to Cheyenne. Miracle of miracles - it was on time! So I grabbed some dinner to go and headed to my new gate. If you have ever been to the Denver airport, you wouldn't be surprised that my walk to my new gate took about half an hour! That airport is HUGE and of course I was taking a tiny commuter plane located in the terminal on the very edge of the airport.

When I arrived at my gate, I checked that all was well with my flight and once again turned on my phone. I had a ton of messages and decided I could spare listening to them - good thing, too, because my mailbox was FULL (my fabulous friends' & family's birthday wishes mostly). As I listened, I deleted. I then called my contact in Laramie to let her know I was due in Cheyenne on time at 10:30 PM. That's when she informed me that the roads from Laramie to Cheyenne were closed and that nobody was going to be able to pick me up! I was going to have to spend the night in Cheyenne and hope that the roads were clear early in the morning. We chatted and decided they would book me in a hotel in Cheyenne that had a shuttle and she would call me with the confirmation information. In the meantime, she wondered if I could look into flights into Laramie from Cheyenne just in case that made more sense. So I made a few phone calls and discovered it wouldn't help to fly there as I would have to fly BACK to Denver to fly into Laramie. When she called back, I relayed this information to her and she said she would call me early in the morning with the plans for getting to Laramie. In the meantime, the hotel shuttle doesn't run after 10 PM in Cheyenne so I was going to need to call the hotel upon my arrival and they would send a taxi instead. CRAZY!

By this time, my phone battery is very low, so I again power it down and wait for my flight. It's finally time to board and the wind is whipping snow around us as we walk what felt like a mile to the tin can with wings. Seriously. Except for the plane I jumped OUT of, it was the smallest plane I've ever been on.

The flight to Cheyenne was short, VERY bumpy, but not too miserable because I was sitting by a real character with a smart mouth. I laughed most of the way there.

We landed, and I watched as the baggage handlers took ONE suitcase off the plane and onto the baggage cart. I laughed a little more because it seemed absurd my bag would be the only one on board.

We made our way across the frozen tarmac to the airport and the baggage conveyor belt was already moving. One bag was moving towards the center on it . . . but it wasn't mine and it another man took it off and departed. Then the belt STOPPED.

I had no bag.

I had no change of clothes for my interview, no charger for my phone, and no toiletries.

I burst out laughing 'cause otherwise I would cry. Surely the universe was playing a practical joke on me!

I walked over to the counter and asked the young man (I swear he was a high-schooler) if any more bags had been on the plane. "Nope," was my answer. He asked me if I was supposed to be on an earlier flight and I said yes, so he checked in the back room for it. Still no bag. "Where are you staying?" he asked and I replied, "the Holiday Inn, but I'm leaving for Laramie early in the morning for a job interview." "Oh no," was my reply. Apparently, the first plane out of Denver to Cheyenne doesn't arrive until 9:30 AM! He then asked how he could reach me, but of course my cell phone was dying so I gave him my contact at the University and he said he'd call when it arrived in Cheyenne.

With the last of my cell phone juice, I called the Holiday Inn to order my taxi. They said it would be right there and I should wait by the double doors. I thanked the man, hung up, and waited. And waited. The airport was closing down around me . . . lights were going off and it was finally just me and the young man. He asked if I had a ride coming and I told him the setup, but this nice fella, "just in case" called me another cab.

My cab finally arrived and slowed down in front of the double doors . . . but didn't stop! I ran out of the airport as he was driving away, yelling "HEY!" after him. Just as he was about to exit (it's a very small airport) he heard me, stopped, and backed up to me. I go into the cab and we were off, bag less, to the Holiday Inn. Upon my arrival, I called my contact one last time to let her know her cell phone was the number for the airport to contact her regarding my bag. At least she knew my bag hadn't arrived now, too.

And, 20 hours after I woke up on my 40th birthday, I fell into bed.

Of course, the next morning I was awake by 6:30 and my contact called me by 7:00. I was picked up at 7:30 . . . wearing the same clothes . . . and off to breakfast with several faculty. I'm happy to say I had some sympathy regarding my previous day and missing bag . . . and breakfast was casual and fun (the car ride to Laramie was a bit more intense - I was "interviewed" the whole way).

Then I was off to teach back-to-back workshops in front of most of the faculty and meet with the Department Chair (fortunately, a man I had worked with professionally and liked very much). In my interview, I let it slip the day before had been my birthday (his was the coming Sunday) and was surprised and touched by his reaction. After my interview with him, I was brought to my hotel for about an hour's rest (I spent it online in the "business room") and then I was off to meet the Dean. I met with him (a strange meeting, I will say, as he did most of the talking) and then the Department Chair drove me around Laramie so I could get a feel for the town. He was very candid about cost of living, et al, but I sensed from him I was his first choice for the job (I was the last candidate to be interviewed). Then it was off to coffee with the design faculty and then off to a "happy hour" at the Department Chair's home.

When everybody finally went home, I spent about a half hour with two more faculty members "chatting" and then I was driven back to my hotel. It dawned on me, as I arrived at the hotel, that I hadn't had lunch or really even any dinner (I nibbled some appetizer-type things at the happy hour). However, I was too exhausted to do anything about it, so I went up to my room to, once again, fall into bed. Still no bag though!

The next morning, after sleeping in a little and getting some hotel breakfast, I showered and put on my suit for the THIRD DAY IN A ROW. Yuck. I then waited for my ride back to Cheyenne to start my way home.

The ride to the airport was fairly quiet and I couldn't decide if that was good or bad, but at this point was really too tired to care. I got to the airport and asked for my bag. Sure enough, it was there and the guy behind the counter asked if he should just check it. I said, "After I change my clothes you can have it back," and I went straight to the ladies room to put on clean clothes and freshen up. At the same time, I removed my chargers for my phone and laptop, and threw my teaching papers, etc. into my suitcase.

I returned to the counter, checked my bag, and was informed the flight was delayed. Big f*cking surprise.

So, I plugged in my phone and computer and enjoyed my myriad of birthday messages while I waited for the plane. We took off and I can gladly say the rest of the trip was uneventful . . . until I got back home.

I stood in front of the baggage claim with the rest of the passengers and waited patiently for my bag as the snow began to fall outside. One by one, the others picked up their bags and left until I was standing there was one other man . . . and the conveyor belt stopped.

No bag.

AGAIN.

And the airport was once again closing up for the night. I waited by the counter with this other gentleman for about 40 minutes when I finally CALLED the airline from my cell to start a delayed baggage claim. Eventually an airport representative showed up at the counter and I dealt with her instead. I wasn't convinced I would ever see my bag again at this point . . . but got into my car and as I was driving home noticed the Chinese place was still open so I stopped for some food because naturally I was famished. I got it to go and finally pulled into my driveway about midnight.

I ate my "birthday dinner" and drank a glass of wine with the company of Cats and Jammer and finally crashed about 1 AM.

What a crazy three days.

The next morning I called to check on the status of my bag and ended up having to speak to another representative because I never got a claim number. UGH. I finally got that and was told they couldn't find my bag. What? I had just been told the night before it had been scanned at O'Hare. SIGH. My hopes of seeing the bag (with my expensive suit and skirt, my running shoes and teaching stuff all in it) were dashed some more and it was compounded by the fact that the snow was really coming down now. I didn't think any flights would be landing at our small airport anyway, so I released myself of the bag worry and focused instead on the audition I had later that day.

Yeah, I was once again auditioning for ISF - this time for the roles of Kate in Shrew and Tamora in Titus. I was ready, but of course a bit nervous. I left VERY early due to the snow and the fact that my put together picture/resumes were in my damn bag. I got to campus, put my stuff together, rehearsed my pieces a few times, and then was off to wait my turn. It was a small group auditioning this day as most had auditioned in NY, Chicago, or St. Louis. Finally it was my turn and I thought I gave a really strong audition. I was coached once, people laughed, and I was outta there.

My insane week was FINALLY over - or WAS IT? No . . . I had to get my grades in and prepare for the 19 hour drive to New England with the two cats and dog.

Fortunately, Sunday night, my bag was delivered so I could unpack, do laundry, and pack again. I spent the next day grading, doing laundry, and cleaning and left the house for my LONG trip home at 6 PM Monday night.

Around 2 AM the next morning, the animals and I were toast and we stopped somewhere in eastern Ohio, near Wheeling, WV. After I settled the animals down, I went to sleep for what turned out to be a very short nap because one of my cats managed to crawl into the box spring of the bed and couldn't find her way out. She woke me up around 5:30 AM "stuttering" (she doesn't meow) and I spent the next 15 minutes fishing her out. I finally succeeded and foolishly tried to go back to sleep but by this time the dog and other cat were wide awake and ready for breakfast. Damn it.

So I gave in, got up, fed them and walked the dog and went to the lobby for my free breakfast. I ate my oatmeal, drank my coffee and returned to my room. I showered quickly, packed the car, and packed the animals back up for the last long day of the trip.

Long it was . . . over 12 hours . . . cats crying, the dog pawing me, and bad traffic when I finally reached my parents' home town. When I was about an hour away, my dear old dad called and asked if I wanted the wine to breathe, so you can imagine what was waiting for me at the end of my drive. I was thrilled to finally drive into the driveway, release the animals, unpack the car, and enjoy the first glass of wine of my vacation.

Since arriving, I haven't heard from Wyoming or ISF . . . and though Wyoming tells me they are still in the process, I am no longer convinced I am their first pick. I do know, that I won't be hearing from ISF. The Fight Guy was nice enough, AGAIN, to be the bearer of bad news and tell me the roles went to somebody else.

All I can say is it is ISF's loss.

And my gain, because it means I will be outta the WASTELAND by May 31st. And that's the BEST birthday present of my 40th birthday I can imagine.

Crappy Birthday to me! :)

The Mother of All Updates (Installment #2 - Turkey Break and The Naked Show)

So PhD has been pestering me to update and to be fair, I finally "published" installment one a few minutes ago even though I wrote it ages ago. So here we go for #2 and perhaps #3 as well.

It is now December 22 and I am sitting at my father's desk, waiting for family to arrive for the holidays, and enjoying the last remnants of peace and quiet before the masses descend upon us.

Anyway, Turkey Break and The Naked Show are the topics of this installment and I guess I should get to it!

Well, the day after returning home from Jamaica (relieved and a little wealthier, thank you very much), I returned to my Alexander class and had lunch with Coach P. at a sweet little Thai place in town. It was fun to catch up with Coach and hear all the latest . . . now that we weren't running together, I had to hear the news. After lunch, I heard from some friends in Chicago who decided to join me for Turkey Day . . . so I was off like a crazy lady cleaning and grocery shopping for the big feast. I also got a call for a phone interview at Wyoming! FOR THE NEXT DAY (what IS it about schools doing that to me?).

The next day I baked a little and then prepped for my interview. It was short and sweet . . . I believed a good interview . . . but I had a lot on my plate for the next day and had to get busy so I let go of the phone call and moved forward.

The next day was Turkey Day and my friends arrived about noon. We enjoyed catching up and some wine and ate a late dinner. It was a nice visit.

The following morning, they took off for home and I got another call from Wyoming . . . this time from the department chair, a man I worked with in Virginia professionally. He was hoping to chat with me as well. So I called him back and we proceeded to have an interview on the spot! Again, short and sweet and I thought went well.

Whew! I decided to chill out for a day on Saturday - hell, I deserved it, right?

Well, the next day I checked my e-mail and lo and behold Alabama had sent an e-mail looking to set up a phone interview! Woot! But when? I have classes all day . . . so I took a morning off from Alexander and had my HOUR LONG conversation (very one-sided I might say, which was fine by me 'cause it was the other side doing most of the talking) with the department chair. It felt pretty good, but I was less convinced that one went well.

The next thing I know, Wyoming is calling and e-mailing trying to set up an on-campus interview - which is GREAT but I had a show to do (see The Naked Show below)! So, I set it up for Finals Week - for them and me. And that will be the topic of another installment.

So, as I wrote way back in September, I was cast in a University production as a faculty artist in a show where I needed to appear "mostly" naked. At the time, the director thought I'd be barely covered, but as the time wore on and the more we rehearsed, the more it became clear the only way to be true to the story and the character was to be NAKED - completely.

As I am a professional and pretty free spirited (no comments from the peanut gallery), I didn't have any problems with that. And come to find out, I wasn't the only one that needed to be naked! A young, very attractive, male in the show was also going buff for a short portion of a scene. Nakedness loves company!

Rehearsals were, for the most part, fun . . . but challenging. All of my instincts worked against who this character was and there was a point in the process that I really thought I was the weakest link in the show. That's a terrible feeling to have when you are TEACHING those around you!

It got so bad, I finally sought out the director. I was so frustrated! Before Thanksgiving break, I had a huge breakthrough, but upon my return it was like it never happened. What I had found, I had lost in that time away from the process. UGH. Anyway, I tapped on the office door of the director, sat down, and in my frustration burst into tears. Fortunately, the director is a cool chick and understood the tears weren't a sign of weakness . . . 'cause believe me, the last thing I wanted to do in front of her was freakin' cry!

She chatted with me and in a director's mysterious way, found something to say that relieved me of my frustrations and fears, and grounded me back in the character. Amazing.

So, the two weeks after Thanksgiving break were MADNESS. I was going into tech and performance for the show, I had one phone interview and was madly trying to set up an on-campus interview in freakin' LARAMIE on top of going to class in Urbana, teaching classes here, dealing with student assessments, and trying to grade the stack of papers that were up to my knees. YIKES.

Surprisingly, I managed and we had our 10/12 on a very snowy Saturday. The next day, naked boy and I decided, would be our first naked rehearsal (we had been wearing less and less over the rehearsal period). So, first tech run we dropped the robes and did it. And it was FINE. We had two dress rehearsals (or no dress as the case may be - ha ha) and those went well, too. Finally, it was OPENING. Thank heavens!

Opening night was sold out and many of my colleagues and students were there. I was nervous, of course, 'cause of all that was at stake, but felt pretty good after the show was over.

The next day, a colleague who is very hard please stopped by my office and congratulated me. Gave me some high praise, for which I was extremely grateful, and went on his merry way.

The day after that, another colleague sent an e-mail to the director, the school director, and me extolling the show and calling me "AWESOME". Now that was pretty satisfying, I have to say. I knew then the school director would see it (a small vindication). I was just sorry it hadn't been copied to the entire faculty.

In the end, most of my colleagues had very nice things to say to me and even the Wicked Witch of the Midwest, in her ungracious manner, congratulated me. So, I didn't suck. WHEW!

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and this one more quickly than I would have liked. When the director came down to the dressing room on closing to give us all hugs, I cried again. Only this time it was because I once again am an actor without a show and don't know when my next trod across the boards will be. Naked or not.

And I am sad.

The Mother of All Updates (Installment #1: Jamaica Redux)

Oh my! Where do I begin????

Since I last updated, I have been to Jamaica and back, enjoyed Turkey Day with friends, opened and closed the Naked Show, conducted finals, and have interviewed for a job in the Cowboy State.

In fact, I am STILL IN the Cowboy State. And I am wondering if I'll get OUT of the Cowboy State. It is snowing . . . albeit lightly . . . but after my adventure getting here, I'm not sure of anything.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about Jamaica, Mon.

The trip there was about as smooth as trips out of the country can be. I met up with my friends and their friends in Atlanta and we were off. We arrived a little early, even, in Jamaica. But that's when the trouble began.

So there are six of us, right? And we booked the trip in FEBRUARY. Upon arriving at the Jamaican airport, we headed to the lounge area to arrange our transportation to our resort as we had been instructed to do. We get up to the clerk and she tells us we have no reservations. WHAT???!!!

So, for the next three hours or more, we are on the phone to our travel agent in the States, the resort manager, and the booking agency trying to solve the problem. Yeah, 'cuz that's a fun way to spend your first day in Jamaica. By the time we got the problem "resolved" (and by that I mean unsatisfactorily), the sun was setting, we were hungry (and a couple were drunk), and off to a lesser resort. Bummer.

It was a long drive to the other resort and along the way, we made a potty stop for the drunk ones. Come to find out, one of my friends' friends made a "purchase" while there from the bus driver to enjoy later in weekend. Nervy broad.

We finally arrived at the resort at the one time of the day when there is practically no food being served so we inhaled a plate of french fries, got settled in our rooms, and waited for the full dinner. While wandering about the place killing time, I noticed two young men playing pool. Very attractive, European-looking, and my appetite for dinner disappeared. :) I made eye contact with one . . . but felt a little shy because I was out of my element with these friends.

In the end, this shyness would be my achilles heel . . . and the one single gal of the trip would be lonely the entire time. SIGH. What was I thinking???? Still, we hung out with them the entire weekend.

So, the trip wasn't all bad. Because of the resort's mistake, we ended up getting our money back and a bunch of free amenities we wouldn't have had otherwise (massages, etc). I got to sail one great day, climbed Dunn's Falls, and enjoyed a booze cruise and lots of food and sunshine. But I admit, I felt like I was in high school again with my friends. I'm just not myself around them. Not even close. I'm suddenly 16 again and fade into the background. Not a place I like to be, as most of you know.

On the return trip, we once again spent too many hours in the Jamaican airport. To be honest, I was ready to go home when we did and grateful for the money back.

Jamaica, Mon!

In less than 24 hours I will be in Jamaica.

It can't get here fast enough! It has been a hellish few weeks making it to this point. And though it is nearly 8pm, I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I will be in rehearsal until 10:30pm, then I have to run to the 24-hour Walgreen's for toothpaste and gum, then get some cash, then go home to finish packing and prep my place for my pet sitter. WHEW! My flight leaves at 6:00 AM tomorrow which means I'll have to be up by 3:30 in order to have the time to take care of the critters, shower, and get to the airport. UGH. I have a feeling I'm looking at 3 hours of sleep if I'm lucky.

But it's all good because tomorrow at this time I hope to have a BIG drink in my hands, old friends by my side, and NO WORK for five days! I plan on sleeping, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, skiing, scuba diving, kayaking, eating and drinking my way through the long weekend. I can't wait.

For now though, I'm having trouble staying on my feet. In the past couple of weeks, I've had my morning classes 50 miles away, my afternoon classes here, and evening rehearsals. PLUS, silly me signed on to direct a 10-minute play for our playwright's workshop so I spent all of my "spare" time this weekend doing that! My one night off of rehearsal this week I teched the 10-minute play. Mrg.

So . . . if I can stay on my feet for the next few hours, then I can enjoy being "off my feet" for the next several days.

Jamaica or bust, Mon!

Working Weekend

So far, I have spent my weekend WORKING.

Not what I enjoy doing on my days off, but with my schedule getting tighter and tighter and with more and more to accomplish, it is a necessary evil.

Yesterday, after an hour and a half walk with Zoe on the trail (lovely!), I plopped myself down in front of my computer and worked on SEVEN job applications. Yup, seven. And to be honest, I'm really excited about some of them. There are two in Colorado, one in Montana, and another in Wyoming - all of which are exciting for different reasons. So it isn't all bad. However, academic job applications are labor intensive and it took me ALL day (with an interruption to eat lunch and an interruption to chat with a friend). WHEW. By 6pm I was exhausted and poured myself the first glass of wine I've had in three weeks! I then called PhD to catch up over a long distance happy hour. It was terrific chatting with her.

This morning, again after a long walk with Zoe (this time at the park), I finally went grocery shopping and was back at the computer paying bills (UGH, I am so broke). Soon, I will get to my grading and then I need to work on my script for tonight's rehearsal.

I have to say, rehearsal, though time consuming, is the high point of my days right now. It feels SO GOOD to be an actor again. I don't even know how to describe it. The play is challenging in good ways to me and I'm really enjoying working with this director. And though I have little interaction with all of the students in the cast, I'm enjoying their work as well. How I WISH I could be a full-time actor!!!! Well . . . should none of my job applications pan out, I'll consider it the Universe's way of telling me to give acting another shot.

Not much else to tell. My house is a mess and I need to do laundry . . . what's the priority? Grading or cleaning?

Tomorrow is another Monday and on top of the usual work I have, I need to get my tires checked and probably buy a couple. Yeah, with all my extra money.

So . . . so much for days OFF. Christmas is coming after all.

I AM A NOW A PARENTHETICAL THOUGHT

Yes, it's true. As of yesterday.

I opened my inbox to find a copy of next fall's teaching schedule. Eager to see what new ways the Wicked Witch of the Midwest could humiliate me, I scrolled down to the bottom of the schedule and saw this:

NTT (my name)

Yup. I have been reduced to parenthesis.

The Wicked Witch has once again, in her passive-aggressive manner, made it clear I will not be back next year.

And to add insult to injury ('cause what else is to be expected?), the schedule makes it IMPOSSIBLE to continue my professional certification in the Alexander Technique. Which is nuts because it was in the position posting when I applied that I be certified or be willing to become certified! It is my guess this was on purpose to make returning less appealing should our School Director override her feelings and offer me another year here (and that's even more unclear especially now that that the cat is out of the bag I'm looking for other work - he asked me outright in a "casual conversation"), and to thwart my artistic growth.

AND, not only do I get no upper level majors classes AGAIN (with the exception of movement), but I am also saddled with four classes AGAIN when the normal teaching load is three. I have only taught a regular load one semester. The Wicked Witch is working hard to help me fail.

SIGH. This place really is a "den of vipers," as the Fight Guy likes to say.

In the meantime, I am still working on job applications. I am struggling to find the time with my current schedule, but hope to crank some out this weekend. I have printed a bunch of new openings this past week and need to focus some attention on doing that.

Of course, a war wages inside of me: do I really want to be a full-time teacher? I am not sure I know that answer. Actually, that's a lie. I know I DON'T want to be a full-time teacher. I WANT to be a full-time ACTOR. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make that happen. I've had enough trouble even being a part-time actor.

So is this the next best thing? I think in some ways it is. Unless every place is as nasty as this one. Who needs this toxicity in their life?

SIGH.

If you have any answers, pass them along . . . parenthetically, of course.

Hot, Humid, and CANCELED

It's hard to believe . . . but yes, the Chicago Marathon was canceled about 3 1/2 hours into the race.

My heart goes out to the runners. All those people who trained so hard who won't have an "official" time.

Still . . . it was BLOODY HOT. And I was just standing there!

I don't quite know how to feel about it. I'm relieved I couldn't run. I have run three marathons in mid-80 degree weather and can sympathize with the masses. And you can't stop at just the air temperature - add in the humidity (something like 74% yesterday) and the 10 or more degree rise in body temperature and you're looking at trying to run 26.2 miles in what feels like over 100 degrees! Ugly. Painful. HELL.

And yet I'm really mad at the race officials. This weather had been predicted for several days. And regardless of what the race director says, there was a real lack or water along the route. Ask any runner who might have expected to finish in 4 or more hours. Coach P said he had no water for the first TWO water stops and then only ever other stop after that! WHAT? How does that happen??? There are a number of marathons who run in high heat regularly. They're prepared for it and they don't have to cancel.

I understand it is normally 20 - 30 degrees cooler this time of year in Chicago. That's no excuse. Any race director needs to be prepared for the worst - in either heat or cold.

As I left the course, I saw a group of spectators taking the water shortage into their own hands: they had purchased countless 10 gallon water jugs at a nearby grocery along with bunch of plastic cups and were handing water out to the runners. I heard this occurred at numerous places along the course. And the fire officials had opened up hydrants and were spraying the runners as they walked or slowly ran by.

Those poor runners!

I was standing at mile 25 and I was there early enough to see the elite runners fly by . . . but even they looked like they were working hard. In my 5 + hours on the course, I saw two runners go down and get medical attention. I was surprised it wasn't more, frankly. Nearly all looked miserable and before long the majority of them were walking. Come to find out it was because they had been informed the race was canceled and they should WALK the rest of the route. It was inspiring to see so many still determined to FINISH. It brought tears to my eyes.

And still so many didn't finish. Over three hundred were hospitalized. And that poor runner who collapsed and died. How awful for the family and friends . . . my heart aches for them.

I know several from Team in Training who were running their FIRST marathon. How disappointing to have your first be canceled! You never get your first back. We had one runner who had hoped to qualify for Boston . . . no way that was going to happen yesterday. I understand he's planning on running Columbus in two weeks to try again.

Still . . . without water I suppose they were smart to cancel.

So, the race has come and gone. The heat is still here (92 predicted today) . . . but expected to be gone tomorrow. Two days too late for 36,000 runners.

SIGH.

Alaska is looking better and better.

THERE IS NO FINISH LINE.

Marathon Weekend

This is the weekend of the Chicago Marathon.

I am sad I won't be running, but in a few hours I'm off to what I hope is my LAST meeting with Dr. W regarding my stress fracture. Keep your fingers crossed.

In spite of not being able to run, I'm heading up to Chicago anyway to cheer on my Teammates and play with my friend, G. I'm taking the train . . . even though I could drive, I decided not to fight the traffic and this way I can sleep or read en route there and back. It should be a nice change from my usual frantic trip up I-55.

Once there, G and I will hit the Expo. It will be the first time I go to an Expo and not pick up a packet, but I'm looking forward to being in the environment anyway. All those runners . . . hopefully it will inspire me to eventually get back in my shoes and running - in spite of the cold and dark (because come November, my only time to run will be around 5 AM). Plus, the Expos are famous for their free samples so I plan to stock up on mini-power bars and the like. And I'm going to get a whistle and make posters for my friends. One of my teammates is hoping to qualify for Boston. He's quick . . . and to be perfectly honest quite pretty. Wish I had been as fast as he is just to spend my Saturday mornings running with him! Yes, of course he's young. It's ME, remember? But I digress . . .

Saturday evening G and I are going to eat out. HUAH! I get to enjoy a meal out of town that isn't a chain. Okay, so I don't really go to the chains here . . . I pretty much don't go out to eat here. So I'm looking forward to a fun evening. I don't imagine G and I will close the town down, however. Normally I would be happy to do that, but we'll have an early morning on Sunday to claim our spot along the route.

Sunday is race day. I plan to park it around mile 25 with other Team In Training folks. G's back has been bugging her and with my leg still healing it is probably best not to race around to different points along the route (what I would do if I were healthy). So we'll go and hang out and watch all the similarly certifiable individuals stagger by with just over a mile to go.

I admit, I'm bummed. But maybe in the end I'll be relieved. It's going to be quite warm - high near 90 degrees - and I'm not a fan of running that distance in that kind of weather. Still, there may be a breeze off the lake so it might not be terrible. Hard to know.

Anyway, that's the plan. I'm getting the hell out of Dodge, even if it's only for 36 hours or so.

Wish the Hula Ladies could be here . . . it would have been fun to party Chicago-style with them.

I'm just holding on to turning those Hula Ladies into Eskimos. :)

And to all those Chicago bound this weekend planning to go the distance - run happy.

THERE IS NO FINISH LINE

Cat Containment Take Two

Why did I bother? Really, what was the point?

Within minutes, Henry was out of his HARNESS and enjoying the wide world of Founders Grove.

I will keep trying . . . but Henry is not only a hunter, he is also a Houdini.

SIGH.

I tried. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something. Any ideas on what that might be?